by Pastor Cecil | Oct 1, 2019 | 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 8:5
“They said to him, ‘You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’”
It is frustrating trying to lead someone who is not committed to following. They may say they will follow, but it seems they are easily distracted and before long they are nowhere to be seen. This is true in the physical world as well as the spiritual world.
Many of us have had the frustration of asking someone to follow us only to soon discover they have gone missing. I vaguely recall a humorous story of a man who comes into a business and asks if the owner has seen his group. He frantically begs the owner; “Please help me. I must find them. I am their leader!”
Wow! That rings close to home for many of us. We may be just as guilty, or even more so, of taking our eyes off of our followers. Good leaders should know where their followers are at all times. Do we?
Our primary responsibility as a follower of Jesus Christ is to keep our eyes on Him at all times. We accomplish this by spending quality time in His Word and talking with Him in prayer. “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:6
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 9, 2019 | 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 30:6b
“But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”
David and his fighting men had been away in battle, and when they returned they found their town destroyed and their families taken captives. His men were so wrought up that they talked of killing David. David, however, found strength in the Lord.
David did not crawl in bed, cover his head and wish he was dead. Instead, he turned to the Lord who is always our source of strength. That is what we are always to do when we encounter calamities in our life.
When David inquired of the Lord, he was given precise directions about what he was to do and was assured that the victory was his. He followed the Lord and the enemy was totally defeated and everything that had been plundered was recovered.
Who do you turn to when you experience tragic situations in your life? Do you blame others for not being able to protect you? Do you blame God for allowing terrible things to happen to good people like you? Do you sit in some corner and feel sorry for yourself?
Our source of strength must always be in the Lord. Ask Him to show you what lesson He wants you to learn in the school of hard knocks. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 17, 2016 | 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 15:22
“So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.’”
During our 62 years of marriage, I found great joy in doing things that would delight my sweet wife. Joyce enjoyed the typical gifts such as flowers or candy, but that was not what brought her true delight. What brought her the greatest delight was when I would straighten up around my area.
Yep! You guessed it … I have a tendency to create messes! It seems like I always have the notion that I may need something someday, so I just add it to the ever-growing pile of things on my desk or near my chair. Later, as I gaze at a particular item, I wonder why in the world I ever saved it. Joyce was right!
In those times when I bit the bullet and cleaned up my work area, it delighted her. I only wish she were still here so I could try to delight her once again!
In today’s Scripture we read about what delights the Lord. It is not in what we try to give Him of our worldly possessions, but His delight is in our obedience to His word. When God says it we need to believe it and continue obeying. I want to please Him!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 16, 2016 | 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 17:45
“Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’”
Years ago, the Wendy’s hamburger chain ran a popular television commercial that featured a tiny elderly lady (I think her name was Clara) who stood at the counter of a competitor’s hamburger stand and shouted the question: “WHERE’S THE BEEF!?”
In our modern church world I almost feel like shouting: “WHERE’S THE POWER!?” It seems that today’s church is weak and anemic to the point of being almost ineffective. We may talk a big talk, but where is the Power?
In today’s Scripture, David gives us the answer. He was faced with a literal giant of a man who was armed with mighty weapons that would kill David instantaneously. David did not have similar man-made weapons — he had a weapon of far greater power than any that Goliath possessed. David had the Name of the Lord of hosts in his arsenal. That power killed the giant.
Who or what is the Goliath in your life? Whatever you do, do not try to fight with the weapons of this world. Call upon the Name of our Lord to provide you with all you need to slay that giant that is facing you. That is the real power!
Blessings dear hearts!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 16, 2013 | 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 15:22
Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.
At various times I have been referred to as Mister, Reverend, Pastor, Minister, Preacher, and while in the Air Force, by the rank I held at the time. My mother never gave me any of these titles. She just stuck me with the name, Cecil Adrain Thompson. I sure wish she had not done that!
Getting back to the titles, I am bemused by the number of people that send off for some supposed degree that will confer a title such as those mentioned above. I must confess that I spent some years earning mine, but I fail to hold tightly to them. I would just rather be known as, Cecil.
In this passage, from 1 Samuel 15:22, Saul has failed to obey the specific instructions of the Lord. He is arguing with Samuel about how he wants to sacrifice the best of the animals captured from the Amalakites to the Lord. That was not what the Lord had commanded. He had ordered the complete eradication of the enemy. He wanted Saul to obey rather than bargain.
How many times have we found ourselves trying to bargain with God instead of obeying what we find in the Word of God. The Holy Spirit directs us in a particular direction, but we go our own willful way and then want God to bless us. Nope! It just will not work that way. He demands obedience. He just wants us to obey. Trust and obey, there is no other way!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 21, 2013 | 1 Samuel
1 Samuel 25:3
The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
Sometimes babies get stuck with funny names. Take me for example. I would sure never have selected the name, Cecil for an innocent baby. But my parents did. I have had to live with that name all of my life. Oops! I have to add that my dad was also Cecil and although we have different middle names, I spent my early childhood days known as Junior. What a sad life! Sob! Sob!
All that being said we get back to the focus of this man named, Nabal. In Hebrew the name means, fool. Later in the chapter when Abigail, his wife was pleading with David to spare the life of Nabal, she said; Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him!
Abigail was a beautiful and godly woman that was stuck with a husband who had the name of a fool and lived up to his name. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she used every resource at her disposal to spare his life. There is never an indication that this churlish man ever appreciated so rare a gem that was his wife. How sad!
It may be that you are married to a spouse who makes your life miserable. My counsel is for you to show forth the beauty of the Lord in response. Let the Lord show you ways to save the life of the most difficult person in your life!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
